KevinMckidd Tagged Articles at Cinematical
'Call of Duty' Movie Talk Highlights Kevin McKidd's Sense of Humor
Filed under: Action », Fandom », War »
I'm already a big Kevin McKidd fan from his work on television shows like Rome and the woefully under-seen Journeyman, as well as his turns in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven and Neil Marshall's Dog Soldiers, but his comments on the increasing possibility of a Call of Duty film have made me love the actor even more. For those who weren't in line at midnight for the recent launch of the latest CoD entry, Modern Warfare 2, you should know that Call of Duty is a first-person-shooter video game series that started off during World War II but has since spread its settings throughout the last hundred or so years of combat.A few months ago Activision, the game's publisher, filed for a Call of Duty movie-related trademark, hinting that they were planning on kick-starting a film franchise as well. After the $550 millon success of Modern Warfare 2, the New York Post caught up with Kevin McKidd, who lends his voice to Soap, one of the games' staple characters, about his involvement with the project and if there was any progress on the film front. His response is golden:
"They were looking for a rough, Scottish actor in Hollywood they probably couldn't get Gerard Butler, so they got the No. 2 Gerard Butler, me. I had no idea it would be so huge, and now there are talks of a feature film," ... "if the script is good, and Gerard isn't available [laughs], then absolutely."
More Stars Gettin' Greek in 'Percy Jackson'
Filed under: Casting »
Percy Jackson: The Lightening Thief is the first in a series of young adult novels by Rick Riordan about a kid with dyslexia and ADHD who's also the kid of, you know, the son of Poseidon. As with most of us, he learns all about himself at summer camp -- except instead of mosquito bites and panty raids, Percy finds his camp is full of the sons and daughters of demigods. Since being optioned by Fox 2000 in 2004, it's acquired quite a roster of theatrical demigods to the cast, and its latest additions are pretty swell. Rosario Dawson (who was the only part of Seven Pounds that didn't make me want to throw a shoe at the screen) is playing a sexy Persephone who gets a little friendly with Percy's BFF Grover, who, as it turns out, is a satyr. Awkward!
Catherine Keener Is Loved By the Gods and 'Percy Jackson'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », 20th Century Fox », Family Films », Newsstand », Harry Potter »
I don't know if Chris Columbus' Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief will be the next Harry Potter, but it certainly has a cast that can rival the one living at Hogwarts. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the latest to sign on is the always lovely Catherine Keener, who will be playing Sally Jackson, mother to Logan Lerman's Percy. Of course, Sally isn't just any ordinary single mother, she's one beloved by at least one Greek god. A forbidden love affair with Poseidon produced Percy, who just might be the boy to fulfill a prophecy. Sally tries to conceal Percy's identity from the gods and from himself, but of course that never works.
The Olympians cast so far include Uma Thurman as Medusa (I know, right?), Pierce Brosnan as Chiron, Melina Kanakeredes as Athena, Kevin McKidd as Poseidon, and Sean Bean as Zeus. They're still looking for a Hades and probably annoyed Clash of the Titans nabbed Ralph Fiennes as theirs.
I share Peter Martin's doubts that this will be the next Potter (I think that's a one time thing), and I'm so-so on the story because it flouts mythological convention and gives the man-disdaining Athena a daughter. But I am a sucker for a lot of the cast members (especially McKidd and Bean), and the idea of McKidd and Keener being so overcome with passion that they flouted the decrees of the gods? That is the stuff Greek myths are made of, so who knows? It might be pretty fun.
Is the Next Harry Potter a Dyslexic New Yorker?
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Deals », 20th Century Fox », Family Films », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
Where, o where, will the next Harry Potter come from? Could it be from New York, via Texas? Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, and Sean Bean have signed up for Percy Jackson, according to The Hollywood Reporter, an adaptation of The Lightning Thief, the first book in a series by former Texas schoolteacher Richard Riordan. After the failure of various projects to become "the next Harry Potter," the news prompted Entertainment Weekly to wonder, "Could this finally be the next big family fantasy franchise?"
Based on the premise, Percy Jackson stands a good chance of appealing to a wide market, but much will depend on the script, since Chris Columbus is still on board to direct. As Christopher Campbell wrote two years ago, Columbus "may have been the least inspired director involved with the Harry Potter franchise," so big questions remain. Can he deliver a good-enough movie that won't disappoint fans of the books and whip up enthusiasm among non-readers for seeing a series of movies in the same vein?
The 12-year-old titular hero, to be played by Logan Lerman, appears to be "just another New York kid diagnosed with ADHD, who has good intentions, a nasty stepfather, and a long line of schools that have rejected him" before he discovers that his father is Poseidon (the Greek god, not the doomed ocean liner). He sets off on a cross-country journey to retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt, "the original weapon of mass destruction," which his father has been accused of stealing. Kevin McKidd will play Poseidon, which is inspired casting. Fox is aiming for release in February 2010.
Will you mark your calendars? Will Percy Jackson do better by avoiding comparisons with Harry Potter?
Huzzah! Kenneth Branagh Talks About Directing 'Thor'
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Scripts », DIY/Filmmaking », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
If you were looking for an official confirmation, direct from the Shakespearean's mouth that Kenneth Branagh is directing Thor -- well, here it is. MTV caught up with Branagh at a Valkyrie junket, and he was all too happy to declare yay, verily. "I am directing Thor, or The Mighty Thor as you might like to call it. I think [the title] will be Thor."Not surprisingly, it sounds like it was those rather Shakespearean elements of the comics that appealed to him most: "To work on a story about one of the immortals, Gods, extraordinary beings, inter-dimensional creatures. There's science fiction and science fact and fantasy all woven into one. It's based on Norse legends which Marvel sort of raided in a brilliant way ... It's a chance to tell a big story on a big scale. It's a human story right in the center of a big, epic scenario."
He refused to comment on all things casting and Kevin McKidd, though: "There's been lots of talk [about casting] - I sound like a politician - but we are too early at this stage. We're getting the story and the visual effects together and all of that is very exciting. Someone sensational is going to play the part but it is early days."
I'm still weirdly optimistic about this choice -- you couldn't have mentioned a Thor movie to me, Matthew Vaughn helming or not, without my snickering ... but Branagh's flair for the dramatic says this Thor will be hugely entertaining. I freely admit that could be in a bad way, but hey, ambitious failure is almost as much fun as epic success. The Son of Asgard deserves no halfway effort.
Geek Daily: Thor, Justice League Revived, and Jonah Hex...
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », Lionsgate Films », Warner Brothers », RumorMonger », Scripts », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Religious », Western »
There are some great things to discuss, today, so let's just jump right in. But take a moment to admire the art , because I couldn't let Scott Weinberg outshine me anymore!
- Rendering my Tuesday column somewhat obsolete, George Miller has informed the world that he is still attached to Justice League Mortal, and that the film is still very much alive. Apparently, he was never even on the Australian television show to make such fatal statements. Oh well. We can still talk about whether or not you can ever make a Justice League movie, right? [via SuperheroHype]
- Kevin McKidd told IGN that he is in the running for Thor -- and not for a secondary character, as he previously said, but as the god himself. Nothing is definite, there's just a lot of talk back and forth, but he's very excited that Kenneth Branagh is on board. It's a deal I'd like to see done, as the combo of McKidd and Branagh seems like a winner to me. (I particularly like that IGN caught McKidd at the Punisher: War Zone premiere -- Titus Pollo and Lucius Vorenus, together again!)
- Lexi Alexander might replace Neveldine and Taylor as the director of Jonah Hex. She told Latino Review that she had been sent the script, and really liked it. "I like it even more that Mr. Josh Brolin is still attached. Who knows if he'll stay, but it's more exciting than I thought. You get a story like this you think, 'Oh God, I'm going to be doing the same thing over and over again.' but it's really, really interesting." I haven't seen Punisher: War Zone yet, but all the reviews are positive, and indicate she'd have a similar take to Neveldine and Taylor. Go for it, Alexander!
- Also wanted -- one director for Magdalena. Gale Anne Hurd is looking. She has her cast lined up, and now she just needs a director. They'll have a very prepared star in Jenna Dewan, who Hurd says has "steeped herself" in the character. [via ShockTillYouDrop]
- The running time for Watchmen currently clocks at 2 hours, 35 minutes. Zack Snyder envisions the director's cut to be 3 hours and 10 minutes. And he's putting Tales of the Black Freighter together as you read this. [SciFi Wire]
Does Kevin McKidd Want to Live Forever?
Filed under: Action », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Casting », RumorMonger », Remakes and Sequels »
One of the few '80s remakes I can get behind is Highlander -- the original is something I always wanted to love, but couldn't. I know! It seems tailor made for me, what with Scotsmen, swords, immortals, and finest power ballads known to humankind. But there are levels of ridiculousness I will accept in film, and somehow Highlander just overruns my tolerance for it when a "Spanish" Sean Connery disdains haggis while speaking in a warm Scottish brogue. A remake has always topped my guilty wish list, and it shocks me that Summit went and green-lit it. But news has been pretty scarce -- so scarce that the moment I saw this rumor on JoBlo, I took it. It seems one of their faithful readers heard Scottish actor Kevin McKidd on a Dublin radio show, and he mentioned that the producers had approached him about starring in the film.
I would actually love this to happen. McKidd not only has the advantage of actually being Scottish, but he's quite an ass kicker as well. If you have been good readers and rented both seasons of Rome like I've told you, you will have seen this for yourself. He also swung a sword in Kingdom of Heaven, but I'm not sure if you can really make him out in that blurry opening fight where everyone dies. So take my word for it. He's a badass -- and that's not surprising since he does hail from the land that probably invented the word.
If not McKidd, who? The Highlander has to be Scottish this time around. While you might expect me to favor Gerard Butler, I think he's dead tired of bulking up to kill people. So I nominate Dougray Scott, who deserves a nice big role after missing out on Bond and Wolverine, and he has the world-weary look of an immortal. McKidd or Scott, Summit. Listen to me, for I know my Scotsmen.
By the Hammer of Thor -- Movie Still Happening!
Filed under: Action », RumorMonger », Newsstand », Comic/Superhero/Geek »
There are some comic book heroes I just can't envision on the big screen. One of these is Thor -- but Matthew Vaughn is still determined to do it. In an interview with Empire, he confirms that he's still on board and that the next move is up to Marvel. "We're in a holding pattern at the moment," he said. "It's up to Marvel, they have to decide if they want to make the movie and then we take it from there."Marvel not want to make a comic book movie? Yeah, I don't think they're really going to duck out of that. Vaughn recognizes that the character is inherently a bit ridiculous, but is confident he can strike a balance between a faithful portrayal and updating that winged helmet. "I think you have to respect that it is comic book and silly to be frank, so you have to combine that with a modern style and hopefully come up with something fresh. I think we can come up with something special." Last September, he cited Gladiator as an inspiration, and scriptwriter Mark Protosevich sees the story in Biblical terms.
Vaughn also says he wants a total unknown to play the part -- I think this is the first buff hero movie that hasn't immediately had Gerard Butler's name attached to it. (Until someone picks this up and sees only "Butler" and "Thor" and runs it as a rumor.) Another Scottish actor, Kevin McKidd, was rumored to be in the running but is still in talks only for a secondary part.
Like I said, I can't really picture it. Even in epic Gladiator terms, I still see it as something that might have been made in the 1980's. Am I missing the awesomeness of the character? Feel free to flame me and tell me so, Thor fans.
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